BPSC Prelims (Combined Competitive Exam)
48th–52nd BPSC Prelims 2008: Previous-Year Questions
92 questions from this paper, sorted by subject, with their options. Each one opens to its answer and explanation.
Modern History 26 questions
Emperor Shah Alam- II gave the Diwani of Bengal - Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company on:
- A12 August, 1765
- B18 August, 1765
- C29 August, 1765
- D21 August, 1765
The first railway in India was laid down during the period of-
- ALord Dalhousie
- BLord Curzon
- CLord Wellesley
- DLord Lytton
The revolt of 1857 at Lucknow was led by:
- ABegum of Awadh
- BTatya Tope
- CRani Lakshmibai
- DNana Saheb
When did Queen Victoria declare the taking over of Indian administration under the British Crown?
- A1 Nov. 1858
- B31 Dec. 1857
- C6 Jan. 1858
- D17 Nov. 1859
After the revolt of 1857, the British recruited the Soldiers from the
- ABrahmins of U.P. & Bihar
- BBengalis and Oriyas from the East
- CGurkhas, Sikhs, and Punjabis in the North
- DMadras Presidency and Marathas
Moplah revolt of 1921 took place in:
- AKashmir
- BPunjab
- CKerala
- DAssam
When did the British Government appoint the Sadler University Commission for reforms in education:
- A1919
- B1917
- C1921
- D1896
The women’s movement in India started largely under the inspiration of:
- APadmabai Ranaday
- BAnnie Besant
- CSarojini Naidu
- DJyotiba Phule
The most important of the pre-Congress nationalist organisation was the
- ABengal British India Society
- BEast India Association
- CYoung Bengal Association
- DIndian Association of Calcutta
The protest method of moderate leaders of the Congress was?
- ANon-Co-operation
- BConstitutional agitation
- CPassive resistance
- DCivil disobedience
In which year partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon was cancelled?
- A1911
- B1904
- C1906
- D1907
At which place of Bihar, Gandhiji started Satyagraha movement for the first time in India:
- APatna
- BGaya
- CMadhubani
- DChamparan
Who was the National Leader of Champaran Indigo movement?
- AMahatma Gandhi
- BBirsa Munda
- CBaba Ramchandra
- DRam Singh
Where was the first All India Kisan Maha Sabha formed?
- AAllahabad
- BKolkata
- CLucknow
- DPatna
Who was the first President of All India Trade Union Congress?
- AB.T. Ranade
- BSatya Bhakta
- CLala Lajpat Rai
- DN.M. Joshi
The Revolutionary phase of the trade union movement in India was:
- A1939-45
- B1926-39
- C1918-26
- D1914-18
When was the Rowlatt Act passed?
- A1909
- B1919
- C1930
- D1942
Why did people gather to demonstrate at Jallianwala Bagh?
- ATo protest against the arrest of Gandhi and Lajpat Rai
- BTo protest against the arrest of Kitchlew and Satyapal
- CTo offer prayers on the Baisakhi Day
- DTo protest against the arbitrariness of inhuman acts of the Punjab Government.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi support the Khilafat Movement?
- AThe Khalifa had given shelter to Indian revolutionaries
- BGandhiji wanted to win the support of the Indian Muslims against the British
- CThe Khalifa supported Indian struggle for freedom
- DThe Khalifa was a friend of Gandhiji
Gandhiji launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in–
- A1920
- B1919
- C1921
- D1922
Which party was Jayaprakash Narayan associated with?
- ACongress
- BKisan Sabha
- CCongress Socialist
- DCommunist
Quit India movement began on:
- A9th August, 1942
- B10th August, 1942
- C15th August, 1942
- D16th August, 1942
Who formed the Forward Bloc?
- ASubhas Chandra Bose
- BRajendra Prasad
- CBhagat Singh
- DB.R. Ambedkar
Who was the first Indian to resist the political reforms?
- ADadabhai Naoroji
- BSurendranath
- CRam Mohan Roy
- DBal Gangadhar Tilak
Match the following:
- (A) Bardoli 1. Maharashtra
- (B) Chauri-Chaura 2. Gujarat
- (C) Yerwada 3. West Bengal
- (D) Noakhali 4. Uttar Pradesh
- A1 2 3 4
- B2 1 4 3
- C2 4 1 3
- D4 3 1 2
Who is the author of the book 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'?
- AR.K. Narayan
- BKhushwant Singh
- CGeorge Orwell
- DNone
Ancient History 7 questions
The ‘Bodhi Vriksha’ in Bodh Gaya belongs to which generation of its family?
- AThird
- BFourth
- CFifth
- DSixth
Who of the following kings was strongly inclined towards Jainism?
- ADasaratha
- BBrihadrath
- CKharavel
- DHuvishk
- ENone of the above/ More than one of the above
Who founded Pataliputra?
- AUdayin
- BAshoka
- CBimbisara
- DMahapadmananda
By whom was the first republic of the world established in Vaishali –
- AMaurya
- BNanda
- CGupta
- DLicchavi
Who recognized Sandrokottos as Chandragupta Maurya?
- AWilliam Jones
- BV. Smith
- CR. K. Mukherjee
- DD. R. Bhandarkar
Who first deciphered the Brahmi script?
- AA. Cunningham
- BA.H. Dani
- CBuhler
- DJames Prinsep
The last Mauryan emperor was:
- AJaloka
- BAvanti Verma
- CNandi Vardhana
- DBrihadratha
Medieval History 6 questions
Iltutmish appointed his first Subedar in Bihar to :
- AIwaz
- BNasiruddin Mahmud
- CAlimardan
- DMalik Jani
When Humayun invaded Chunar Fort first time?
- A1532
- B1531
- C1533
- D1536
Who among the following has constructed a mausoleum for her emperor husband?
- AShah Begum
- BHaji Begum
- CMumtaz Mahal Begum
- DNur-un-Nissa Begum
Akbar merged Bengal and Bihar into his empire :
- A1590 A.D.
- B1575 A.D.
- C1576 A.D.
- D1572 A.D.
Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb at Agra was built by
- AAkbar
- BJahangir
- CNur Jahan
- DShah Jahan
The meaning of the word Bantai during the Medieval period was?
- AReligious Tax
- BSystem of calculating revenue
- CWealth tax
- DProperty tax
Bihar Special GK 22 questions
The reason for introducing the ‘Permanent Settlement’ in Bihar was—
- AThe Zamindars were deprived of the ownership of the land
- BThe right of ownership of land was made hereditary and transferable for the Zamindars
- CFixing the land revenue at a definite amount
- DAbolition of Zamindari
Which was the working area of Birsa Munda?
- AChamparan
- BRanchi
- CBallia
- DAlipur
Which person of Jagdishpur led the revolutionaries in the uprising of 1857?
- AKunwar Singh
- BChandrashekhar
- CTeerat Singh
- DRam Singh
Who led the revolt of 1857 in Bihar?
- AKhan Bahadur Khan
- BKunwar Singh
- CTatya Tope
- DRani Ram Kuari
When was the attempt to murder Kingsford made at Muzaffarpur?
- A1908
- B1909
- C1907
- D1911
Bihar Socialist Party was founded by –
- AJ.P. Narayan
- BSatyabhakta
- CM.N. Roy
- DSubhash Chandra Bose
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was arrested on 9th August, 1942 and was sent to :
- ACamp Jail
- BHazaribag Jail
- CBhagalpur Jail
- DBankipur Jail
Prabhavati Devi was a freedom fighter from which region?
- AChamparan
- BPatna
- CBhagalpur
- DShahabad
When did Baldev Sahay resign from the post of Advocate General?
- A1942
- B1943
- C1913
- D1911
In 2006–07, Bihar’s developmental expenditure as a share of its total expenditure was—
- A60 percent
- B67 percent
- C56 percent
- D54 percent
In the history of Bihar for the first time, the economic survey of the State was presented by –
- ANitish Kumar
- BLalu Prasad
- CSushil Modi
- DNone of them
What percentage of its total expenditure is spent by the Government of Bihar on salary and pension alone?
- A40 percent
- B50 percent
- C60 percent
- D46 percent
The percentage of net cultivated area out of total area in Bihar is –
- A60
- B40
- C80
- D70
At present, what is the main source of wealth of Bihar?
- AIndustry
- BAgriculture
- CNatural resources
- DMineral wealth
The estimated coal reserves in Bihar are –
- A1260 crore tonnes
- B303 crore tonnes
- C25310 crore tonnes
- D16 crore tonnes
The state which is third in India by population and twelfth by area is—
- AMaharashtra
- BMadhya Pradesh
- CKarnataka
- DBihar
The infant mortality rate of Bihar state is –
- AMore than Jharkhand
- BEqual to Jharkhand
- CLess than Jharkhand
- DEqual to all India
According to Census 2001, .............. percent of India’s population lives in the state of Bihar.
- A8
- B10
- C11
- D12
Where is the 'Vishwa Shanti Stupa', said to be the highest in the world, located in Bihar?
- AVaishali
- BNalanda
- CRajgir
- DPatna
'Nava Nalanda Mahavihara' is famous for what?
- AXuanzang Memorial
- BBirthplace of Mahavira
- CPali Research Institute
- DMuseum
When was the Lok Sabha Election 2004 cancelled and re-voting done at Chhapra constituency in Bihar?
- A10 May and 15 July
- B10 May and 31 May
- C15 May and 31 May
- D25 May and 10 June
At one time, the Naxalites were limited to only West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh in India. Now they have extended their activities in these states, also.
- AOdisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar
- BBihar, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh
- CMadhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan
- DJharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat
Indian Polity 19 questions
Consider the following words.
- A. Socialist
- B. Democratic
- C. Sovereign
- D. Secular
Choose the correct sequence of words as given in the Preamble.
- AC, A, D and B
- BC, D, A and B
- CC, D, B and A
- DD, A, C and B
Fundamental Duties were incorporated in the Constitution of India by the –
- A32nd Amendment Act
- B42nd Amendment Act
- C15th Amendment Act
- D46th Amendment Act
If the position of President and Vice-President are vacant, who officiates as the President of India?
- AThe Prime Minister
- BThe Chief Justice of India
- CThe Speaker of Lok-Sabha
- DNone of these
What is the sequence number of Ms. Pratibha Patil as the President of the Republic of India?
- A10th
- B11th
- C12th
- D13th
A Bill presented in Parliament becomes an Act after –
- AIt is passed by both the Houses
- BThe President has given his Assent
- CThe Prime Minister has signed it
- DThe Supreme Court has declared it to be within the competence of the Union-Parliament
Which house does not have its chairman as a member?
- ARajya Sabha
- BLok Sabha
- CLegislative Assembly
- DLegislative Council
The serial number of Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari as Vice-President of India is:
- A10th
- B11th
- C12th
- D13th
Who advises the Government of India on legal matters?
- AAttorney General
- BChief Justice of the Supreme Court
- CChairman, Law Commission
- DNone of them
As a Non-Member who can participate in the proceedings of either House of Parliament.
- AVice-President
- BChief Justice
- CAttorney General
- DChief Election Commissioner
According to our Constitution, the tenure of Rajya Sabha -
- Ais dissolved once in two years
- Bis dissolved every five years
- Cis dissolved every six years
- Dis not subject to dissolution
A High Court Judge addresses his letter of resignation to–
- AThe President
- BThe Chief Justice of India
- CThe Chief Justice of his High Court
- DThe Governor of the State
The Lower age limit of voters of Union and State Legislature was reduced from 21 years to 18 years by
- A57th Amendment, 1987
- B60th Amendment, 1988
- C61st Amendment, 1989
- D65th Amendment, 1990
The number of official languages recognised by the constitution in the Eighth Schedule is.........
- A16
- B17
- C18
- D20
A Panchayat Samiti at the block level in India is only a/an
- AAdvisory Body
- BConsultative Committee
- CCoordinating and Supervisory Authority
- DAdministrative Authority
- ENone of the above/More than one of the above
After the Amendment in Indian Constitution by the Parliament on 14 August, 2007 the number of castes in the list of Scheduled Caste is –
- A607
- B1206
- C1410
- D1500
The mobile court in India is the brainchild of –
- AJustice Bhagwati
- BMr. Rajeev Gandhi
- CDr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- DMrs. Pratibha Patil
The First Law University in India was established in August 1987 in –
- ATrivandrum
- BAhmedabad
- CBangalore
- DNew Delhi
Border Security Force came into existence in -
- A1965
- B1970
- C1910
- D1950
Which of the following is not a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?
- AGermany
- BFrance
- CGreat Britain
- DChina
Geography 12 questions
The three largest States of India in order of area are
- ARajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
- BMadhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra
- CMaharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
- DMadhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
Where is the Bhil Tribe found?
- AAssam
- BJharkhand
- CWest Bengal
- DMaharashtra
India gets maximum rainfall mainly from –
- ANorth-East Monsoon
- BRetreating Monsoon
- CSouth-West Monsoon
- DConvectional rainfall
The maximum irrigation potential of India is created through:
- AMajor Projects
- BMinor projects & Major Projects
- CMinor Projects
- DMedium Projects
Select the component of the Green Revolution by using the given code : 1. High-yielding varieties of seeds 2. Irrigation 3. Rural Electrification 4. Rural roads and marketing Code :
- AOnly (1) and (2)
- BOnly (1), (2) and (3)
- COnly (1), (2) and (4)
- DAll four
Rainbow Revolution is related to –
- AGreen-revolution
- BWhite-revolution
- CBlue-revolution
- DAll the above
........ carries 40 percent of road traffic of India –
- ANational Highways
- BState roads
- CDistrict roads
- DVillage roads
The Railway Zone Headquarter Hajipur is located in –
- AChhattisgarh
- BUttar Pradesh
- CJharkhand
- DBihar
The Longest day in southern Hemisphere is
- A22 June
- B22 December
- C21 March
- D22 September
A mountain range of Europe is –
- AAlps
- BHimalaya
- CAndes
- DRocky
The longest river of South America –
- ANile
- BAmazon
- CMississippi
- DGanga
Match the following: (A) Extremely hot 1. Chile (B) Extremely cold 2. Cherrapunji (C) Excessive rainfall 3. Antarctica (D) Extreme Drought 4. Sahara Desert Code: A B C D
- A1 2 3 4
- B4 3 2 1
- C2 3 1 4
- D3 2 4 1